On the day of the accident, our client was traveling on his motorcycle in Columbia, South Carolina, when a tractor-trailer that was traveling in front of him attempted to make a left turn. The tractor-trailer driver turned directly in front of the path of our client while failing to use any turn signals or warning devices.

The tractor-trailer’s turn caused our client to drive underneath the tractor-trailer where he was dragged for several feet and trapped underneath the hot cab of the truck. As a result, our client’s leg was severed and he received significant burns over much of his body.

He underwent numerous medical procedures, including skin grafts and other painful procedures related to his amputation and burn injuries.

Rikard & Protopapas brought a lawsuit on his behalf, and, after several months of litigation, were able to settle the case for the maximum amount of insurance available in the amount of $2,000,000.00. We were also successful in negotiating a large reduction in his medical liens, and setting him up with a special needs trust to take care of future medical expenses.

Our firm has successfully litigated many tractor-trailer accidents over the past 20 years. One thing that gave our client a distinct advantage in this case was he came to us shortly after the truck collision. In these types of cases is it is important to hire a lawyer without delay. The legal firm should be familiar with these types of accidents, the evidence needed to prove the case, and what information needs to be observed to achieve the maximum result for the client. Our firm was able to immediately visit the scene and preserve evidence, take photographs which showed the actual impact in the road, and even locate a witness who had recorded video of the accident on his mobile.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a tractor-trailer accident, please contact our firm to assist you in navigating through the issues that you are facing.

**Any result that the law firm may achieve on behalf of one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.

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The initial contact with our firm is free of charge. Once that contact has been made, we will determine how to best proceed regarding your potential case. There are different types of fee structures that we utilize. The majority of the cases we handle involve a contingent fee contract. That means we do not get paid until and unless our client makes a recovery. Generally, our fees will be a percentage of any recovery, and that percentage is computed before deducting expenses. Typically the expenses are deducted from the settlement and our firm is reimbursed for any advanced expenses. Each matter is on a case by case basis and the fee structure is disclosed in writing if representation is undertaken. In other circumstances, we will represent a client on an hourly basis. In those cases the retainer agreement will reflect that the client will pay an agreed upon hourly rate, expenses are paid as they are incurred and there is typically a retainer payment required which will be billed against. In either instance, the full details of the fee and cost agreement you have with our firm will be explained to you in detail before we begin pursuing your potential claim(s). Additionally, we require that all fee agreements be in writing between the firm and the client. Robert Rikard, Esq. 1329 Blanding Street Columbia, SC 29201